


♫ I'm back on the road again, I'm on my way ♫

by TheBoxedStuffDoesntGetBetterWithAge



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Destiel - Freeform, Fluff, Profound Bond, Some bad words :blush:
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-14
Updated: 2014-02-14
Packaged: 2018-01-12 08:32:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1184124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBoxedStuffDoesntGetBetterWithAge/pseuds/TheBoxedStuffDoesntGetBetterWithAge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cas expresses himself through an R.E.O. song. So does Dean.</p>
            </blockquote>





	♫ I'm back on the road again, I'm on my way ♫

**Author's Note:**

> This is just silly, really. I was listening to a random playlist of all the songs on my disks and R.E.O. came on and suddenly I had this idea gnawing at my egg, so I had to do something with it. Sorry. =)
> 
> Also, it is definitely "time to bring this ship into the shore and throw away the oars", CW! Do it, do it, do it!

♫ _Please don't hate me mamaaaaa for what I'm about to dooo_  
_but the good times we've had togetheeer ... are just about now through_  
_please don't misunderstand me, I hate to seeeeee you cry_  
_but I think that it might look better ... if I told you now goodbye_ ♫

Dean woke up with his head held tightly between two strong, manly – oh, yeah, definitely **man** -ly – hands and a gruff voice singing quietly into his ear in a sort of folksy drawn-out fashion,

♫ _I’m back on the road again, it’s time I leave you now_  
_and baby I’ll seeeeeeeee you next time ... that I'm around_ ♫

There was also a nose pressed into his hair.

Dean opened his eyes and moved his head back a little, so that he was able to make eye-contact with the man, nope, scratch that, the angel hovering above him,

“ _R.E.O. Speedwagon_?”

Cas didn’t answer, he just kept looking at Dean and singing to him sort of like a parent might sing to their child,

♫ _Until then I hooope you're happy, baby, and good times come your way_ ♫

“ _Baby_?” Dean tried to look appalled, as Cas huffed out a laugh,

“Dean. I _am_ well aware of your fondness for terms of endearment and nicknames. You did start calling me Cas even before you were certain I wasn’t actually going to smite you.”

“No one likes a smartass angel, _angel_ ,” he pushed back a little further, retreating into his - incredibly tiny since he had been gripped tight by Cas, apparently - comfort zone. “So, about the R.E.O. Speedwagon…”

Cas put on his famous tired-of-your-shit face, “Dean. I have no idea what sort of device you are talking about.” Cue head tilt. “Does this have to do with something you were dreaming about? You were pretty restless…”

“What?” Dean got caught off guard, but he composed quickly. “No! You were _singing_ an R.E.O. song.” Cas was still giving him the blank angel stare. “ _R.E.O. Speedwagon_ is the name of a band, you uncultured ham.”

Cas was very confused. He had no idea what pork meat had to do with anything. He did however understand that Dean was referring to the song he was murmuring into the man’s hair while said man was sleeping,

“The song…" he finally let out. "It’s just something I’ve heard Sam play a couple of times. He also often sings it in the shower.”

Dean's eyes momentarily went wide, then he shook his head in resignation, “Yeah, OK, too much information there, Cas!” He started massaging his temples, “And, oh, God, _way_ too much imagery I’ll never be able to erase from my brain fast enough.”

Cas was doing the scrunched eyebrows thing again and Dean decided it was time to sit up straight like a man. A man who was just cuddled by a badass fluffy angel, wearing a male vessel, whom he kind of sort of likes having close, but a man’s man none the less. He cleared his throat and tried again,

“OK, so let’s just put it on the record that you know the song from Sam. Why were you singing it ... _to my hair_? And why the hell were we, ugh ... sitting ... _like that_??”

“You fell asleep on the couch and I was watching over you…” Cas looked away for a second and then back to Dean sheepishly like he was afraid of getting scolded for doing his guardian angel act again. Dean let it slide with a small nod of encouragement, “So…”

“So, you started getting restless all of the sudden and you sort of stumbled over to my end of the couch, placed your head in my lap and clenched me tightly.” Dean froze. “I was pretty sure that you were distressed, so I tried calming you by placing my hand on your head, like I’ve seen done by mothers many times. But it would not work. So, I tried singing to you, which seemed to have calmed you down. You however did not loosen your grip on me at all and I wasn’t sure whether you’d stay calm if I stopped soothing you, so I simply resumed my actions and…”

“ _Cuddled me all night while singing R.E.O. Speedwagon to me??_ ” It finally happened. Dean was avoiding chick-flick moments so hard, he eventually got ambushed by the holy grail of girliness. His whole rough'n'tough routine completely wile-e-coyote-ed on him and right now he was falling down a cliff with a whistling sound.

“I only know the one song, Dean," Cas squinted. "So, that’s what I sang.”

“Well, I guess it could be worse. At least you’ve kept it pre 80’s R.E.O.” Dean laughed at himself.

“Dean,” Castiel said in his not-OK voice. Which, to be honest, was actually pretty much his normal voice. Which, to be even more honest, was about as far from normal as you can get.

“What, Cas? You got something else you’d like to sing to me?”

“I’d much rather just tell you, Dean. But if you’d prefer, I suppose I could do it your way too…” Before Dean got a say in it, Cas was back on the R.E.O.

♫ _I've got to leave you mama and I've got to leave todaaaaay_  
_But you know that I'll see you next time that I come through your town to play_ ♫

Cas just managed to do that with a straight face. And- apparently, he was leaving again. Dean was not comfortable with that. He had just got used to his angel hanging around a bit more now that Gadreel and Metatron seemed to be keeping low.

“You gotta go, huh?” he asked with the bravest face to ever brave.

“Yes,” Cas gave a small nod. “But I find myself not wanting to do so." He looked a bit lost. "This has happened in the slightest way to me before, but ever since I’ve been human it’s become almost unbearable.” Cas ran his hand up and down the couch cushion, and looked to the side. “This _need_ for closeness.” He then peered his eyes back at Dean’s, “Luckily this grace, though not mine, is still strong enough to allow me to put duty first.”

Dean got that. And he wasn’t going to add to his angel’s misery. It sucked, but it had to be done, he was sure.

“That's OK, I get it," he admited to the angel. "Now, there’s two things I gotta ask, but I’m not sure what to lead with…” Cas beat him to it,

“I was summoned by one of my surviving brothers who might have some important information for me.”

“Huh. OK, let’s go with item number one then. Are you sure you should go? It’s not like you had a big bunch of angel pals out there the last time I checked...”

“True. But this is an angel I know and trust. He is not alone, though, so we agreed I would wait for him to call upon me when he’d get a chance to meet. It should happen soon.” He stood up, his back turned to the couch.

“Cas, man, have you thought this through? You haven’t had a lot of great experiences with your winged warriors lately and…” The angel turned on his heels,

“They’re still my family, Dean. I have to keep faith in them.”

“Whatever you say, buddy...” Dean clasped his hands between his knees and looked up. “Just watch your back, OK?”

They stayed like that for a while, Dean's head bowed again and Cas focused on something just over it. Dean knew Cas was very much capable of taking care of himself. Hell, most of the time he was taking care of the three of them. Still, there were those few occasions, when Cas did show himself to be a bit too reckless and hotheaded. But Dean wasn’t about to turn into a bitchfaced housewife. Well, maybe just a little,

“So, item numero dos: _mama_?!” he raised his eyes once again.

Cas smirked like he actually knew what Dean was talking about for like the first time ever.

“It bothers me too. I much prefer baby,” he explained matter-of-factly and made his way out of the room, leaving Dean sitting there alone with his mouth agape. It took a few moments, then Dean closed his mouth and half-shrugged at the empty space in agreement. Baby _was_ better.

 

 *****

 

Later that afternoon Sam, Dean and Cas were sitting around the table in the common room and the thought of Cas leaving again was making Dean crazy. Sam gave him crap about being absent and about how he should seriously consider cutting his daily beer intake, but Dean just successfully shielded himself with his “whatever, bitch” face.

“So, you think this angel will have some information about Gadreel and Metatron?” Sam asked. Cas didn’t seem too eager to talk on the subject, still he looked down at the table and answered,

“I’m afraid I have no knowledge of what my brother wants to talk to me about. All I know is that he was among the ones most loyal to me.” He then looked at Sam. “One I could call a friend, if I had actually been aware of the term’s meaning back then. And I _must_ believe he still is.”

Dean still thought this was the dumbest idea ever. But he also still wasn’t going to meddle. He sure was hoping Sam would, though. Instead the Sasquatch went,

“It’s OK, Cas, I get it. And I agree with you, you should go. Just be careful.” He stood up and headed for the archive, “’Cause I’m not sure I’d be able to go through another round of Dean hugging your empty trench coat.” He made sure he finished right before his form was safe behind the corner, so that the orange Dean held in his hand to hurl at his brother’s big stupid head was rendered useless, and he had to drop it back in its bowl.

Dean was uncomfortable, “It’s… He’s just being a bitch, you know. It’s not like… I wasn’t-”

"It’s OK, Dean. It was touching to see you cared. And I want you to know I ... _feel_ the same. Well, except I can grab your soul and bring you back if I want to.”

Cas just said all that without even flinching and now it was Dean's turn to go bitchface. The angel added, “And I want you to know that I will indeed be careful.”

Dean shifted in his seat. This was going cheese way again and it was seriously time to bring it around to healthier grounds. Only, Dean did feel all down and cheesy, so he decided to go full-on Winnimere instead.

“So there was no call yet?” he asked the angel. Cas looked up at him,

“I am yet to receive contact from my brother, yes.”

“Huh.” He decided to just go for it. Quick is painless, right? “Wanna go for a ride then?” Shit. Why did he… Is it too late to take it back?

“Of course, Dean. Did you have anywhere particular in mind?” Wait, what? His eyes shot up. OK. OK, he can work with that.

“Just come with me,” he said, totally freestyling it. They went to the Impala and Cas grabbed the door on the passenger side. Dean stopped him,

“Nope, you’re gonna be the one doing the driving today, Cas.”

Cas was surprised, but nodded. He sat in the driver’s seat like a king, while Dean uncomfortably lowered himself on the seat next to him. Dean was OK with this. He really was. He just didn’t want either of his babies to get hurt. That’s the only reason he was sitting there like a man with a serious case of diarrhea right now. Cas put the car in drive and released the parking break. Oh, God, they were really going to do this. The angel eased the Impala on to the road smoothly - and quite painlessly -, still they were driving a good twenty miles before Dean finally started to relax. He instructed Cas where he should take them and started going through the glove compartment looking for something fervently. In a while Cas stopped in front of the Gas-N-Sip and informed the hunter,

“We’re here, Dean.” The angel looked at the man suspicously.

“Oh, yeah, great. Cas, could you just go in and get us a couple of beers. Here’s the money." He fished out a crumpled ten-dollar bill out of his pocket and handed it over. "I just gotta find something.”

Cas took the cash and went to the store. He found the beer fridge and then he had to stop for a moment. He had no idea what to get. Luckily he noted the same kind of bottles they drank from on the night he met Dean and Sam over that case in Wyoming. He didn’t mind the taste of it back then, so he decided to get a four-pack of those and headed back out the door. In the Impala Dean was sitting with a box of tapes in his lap, now looking all shinny and smug.

“I take it you’ve found what you were looking for?” Cas asked. But Dean was already focused on the beers. He took the bunch from the designated driver with a drawn-out ‘Niiiiiiice’. Cas did not mind the approval, but decided not to show it. He started the car up again and now Dean was directing him as they went, slowly making his way through the collection of tapes. There weren’t really a lot of nice spots to take someone in Lebanon, so Dean decided to just take the angel out to the fields somewhere along route 55. They looked nice enough during the day and what they really needed was space. And there was loads of it there.

Cas wasn’t even trying to guess where they were going. He was gripping the wheel tightly and kept 100 % concentrated on the road.

“Ease up on that grip a bit, grandma,” Dean broke the silence. Cas just shifted in his seat a bit not taking Dean’s… advice.

“Damn it!” Dean suddenly exclaimed, throwing the tape box to the back seats. “You can turn right on that little path right there,” Dean motioned to a narrow road a few feet ahead just before he scooted back down and started emptying the glove compartment.

Cas did as he was told and stopped a mile or so later, also as he was (additionally) told.

“Now take this beer and go sit on the roof of the car,” Dean instructed the angel, then leaned down settling something. Cas set off to climb on top of the car. He supposed this was customary, though he hadn't been aware of the practice before. There was a slight clang when he braced his foot on the hood of the Impala and it made both of their hearts stop. Dean shot straight up,

“Uh, yeah, on second thought, let’s stay on ground level. I should have a thing in the trunk.”

He pried the trunk open and found what he was looking for immediately. Very unlike all the rest of tonight.

“Here,” he pushed a shaggy blanket into Cas’s hands. “Spread it on the ground there,” he motioned at a spot right next to the left side of the car.

Cas did as he was told. Dean was still shuffling around the car loudly. He peeped back out and over the roof and rolled his eyes.

“Now sit, Cas. Open the beer. I’ll be right there.”

He reached his hand into the back of the glove compartment one last time and felt around all the cracks and nudges for a stroke of luck. And, goddamnit, he did feel something between his fingers. A tape! Good. He pulled it out and checked the label. “REO Speedwagon – Wheels are Turnin”. He was sure that the tape was still set at exactly the right time. He absolutely hated this volume, but had to make it, so he could charm Becky Barnes back in junior high (second base, never even left the driveway, thank you very much). He ment to keep it as his trusty weapon, but sort of forgot about it at some point. He used to hate the particular song, too. But lately he couldn’t seem to get it out of his head. He pushed the tape in and pressed play. Then he grabbed a beer and lay down next to where Cas was sitting (as told). The first mushy tones filled the air and Dean motioned to his ear to make Cas focus on the lyrics:

♫ _I can't fight this feeling any longer_  
_and yet I'm still afraid to let it flow_  
_what started out as friendship, has grown stronger_ ♫

Cas looked at Dean from the side. Dean saw it, but kept his eyes on the sky. God, this was so corny.

♫ _I only wish I had the strength to let it show_  
_I tell myself that I can't hold out forever_  
_I said there is no reason for my fear_ ♫

Dean raised his head a bit to take that swig of beer he absolutely needed not to die of embarrassment. Why did he think this was a good idea again? Worst idea ever, more like.

♫ _‘Cause I feel so secure when we're together_  
_you give my life direction_  
_you make everything so clear_ ♫

Cas lay down,

“I like this song, Dean.”

♫ _And I can't fight this feeling anymore  
I've forgotten what I started fighting for_ ♫

Wait, what did he just say?!

♫ _It's time to bring this ship into the shore  
and throw away the oars, forever_ ♫

Dean pushed himself onto his elbows, then leaned over the angel placing his right hand on his cheek, stopping just inches away from his face. God, who ever thought blue could be so blue. “If you ever tell anyone, I swear I’ll exorcise you, but I kinda like it too, Cas.”

Then he leaned in and pressed a determined closed-mouth kiss on the other man’s lips. He lingered just a breath or two and then he pulled away to lie on his back again.

Holy crap, he just kissed Cas! It's finally happened! He had been wanting to do that for so frickin' long now. And since Purgatory it had become unbearable. His stupid throaty voice, his stupid squinty face, his stupid awkward presence, and the hair. Oh, God, the hair... Or the fact that Dean would do anything for him and how he struggled terribly with his human limitations in doing so. Or how totally bamf the angel would get when he was smiting things, the... Wait, what did this mean? Were they _boyfriends_ now?? Did Cas even like it??? His heart was trying to beat its way out of his chest.

He sighed deeply and his sigh was matched by a slightly higher pitched one right next to him. A moment later he felt a hand press into his and his fingers were suddenly intertwined with Cas’s. His heart stopped trying to escape. Right now it was busy doing a slow waltz in his ears. Cas broke the silence,

“I have to go, Dean. I heard the call almost immediately after the song started.”

They were both staring at the sky again.

“It’s OK, man. You gotta do what you gotta do, right?”

“I wish I didn’t, though,” Cas said. "I'd much rather be doing some more of this."

The angel rolled over and touched his ridiculously soft lips to Dean's again and suddenly it was like he was sinking into and endless pool of dark rich honey. God he was so low on sugar right now. He could do this forever. But all too soon the touch was broken and he was back to staring into those two familiar blue surfaces. He exhaled reluctantly and squeezed Cas's hand,

“It’s OK, I get it. You just make sure you come back in one piece, you hear?”

Cas smiled the tinniest of smiles and leaned back down into Dean, right into his ear:

♫ _Well I've loved you since the daaay I met you and I'll love you till the daaay I die_  
_but we both know the life I'm living ... and we both know the reason why_ ♫

Dean closed his eyes. He heard the flapping of wings and when he opened his eyes again, Cas was gone. And, though he had just experienced eternities, the stupid R.E.O. song still wasn’t over...

♫ _'Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore_  
_I've forgotten what I started fighting for_  
_and if I have to crawl upon the floor_  
_come crushing through your door_  
_baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore_ ♫


End file.
